Powers of Attorney

by Louis Auchincloss

Tales that take you behind the scenes of a powerful New York law firm, from the New York Times -bestselling author of The Partners .

Ambition, jealousy, desire, hatred, deceit--they're all there inside the Wall Street law offices of Tower, Tilney & Webb, the setting for these interwoven stories set in the 1960s from Louis Auchincloss, who practiced law while also writing acclaimed and bestselling fiction.

Senior partner Clitus Tilney is not about to let a detestable, hard-drinking partner make a mockery of all he's worked for. Harry Reilley is a clerk who pines for Tilney's daughter. Jake Platt is an associate willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, including setting a rival up for failure. Rutherford Tower struggles with the fact that he owes his position with the firm to nepotism and not hard work. And then there's Mrs. Abercrombie, who's waiting for her sixty-fifth birthday, when she plans to retire--and get her revenge.

These twelve linked stories capture the struggles, rivalries, victories, disappointments, and compromises in the day-to-day lives of lawyers, and a portrait of professional men and women in mid-century New York.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Louis Stanton Auchincloss was an American novelist, historian, and essayist.

Among Auchincloss's best-known books are the multi-generational sagas The House of Five Talents, Portrait in Brownstone, and East Side Story. Other well-known novels include The Rector of Justin, the tale of a renowned headmaster of a school like Groton trying to deal with changing times, and The Embezzler, a look at white-collar crime. Auchincloss is known for his closely observed portraits of old New York and New England society.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each chapter is a story unto itself, focusing on one of the many characters in a Wall Street law firm. Even though the book is now more than 50 years old, the stories are still entertaining and thought-provoking. Auchincloss uses his characters to explore social climbing, status, and various ethical questions facing lawyers.

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Louis Auchincloss book. It's a collection of interconnected short stories revolving around the law firm of Tower, Tilney & Webb. I really appreciated the heightened formalism of these Saturday Evening Post stories, although the way that Auchincloss writes, he makes it seem as if all of his characters are primarily guided by their careers and not necessarily their lives. There are attorneys who decide to go rogue, steamy affairs, and the like. And it's all handled with a weird melodrama that is entertaining and, again, weirdly formal. It's worth reading as an insight into mid-20th century life and what some upper-class people considered to be important!

[Rhode PVD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light enjoyable reads. And the original cover is so very marvelously mid century

[Sumeet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 — a bit lighter on office politics and legal background than I expected but still an entertaining anthology about the personal lives of the firm.

[Elaine Dowling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories all about the same law firm. Original copyright is from the 1950's, and it is clearly early Auchincloss. I enjoyed the stories, but they don't have the penetrating view and biting perspective that his later works have.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elegantly written, but a little flat.